1. Field
The present disclosure relates to chrome-plated fasteners, including, bolts, nuts and other coupling members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
By way of background, chrome-plated fasteners are used in fastener applications where the decorative properties of the chrome plating are desired. Such applications include, but are not limited to, automotive wheel fasteners such as lug bolts and lug nuts. Unfortunately, chrome plating increases a fastener's coefficient of friction, which can lead to galling and seizing, causing the plating to inevitably wear away and thereby expose the underlying metal to environmental degradation. Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,071 discloses a technique for selectively plating only the portions of a fastener that remain exposed to view when the fastener is installed. The fastener's non-exposed portions, such as the threads and the seat, receive a protective coating (typically a zinc-rich composition) that is suitable for these friction regions. Although this technique works well, the selective plating process is more complicated than the conventional approach in which plating is applied to the entire fastener.